36 15th Subjunctive: "If " Plus Explanations plus Mostly Pluperfect Flashcards
Si clauses indicate possibilities, which may or may not become reality. They refer to the present, past, and future. These conditional sentences have two parts: the condition, or si clause, and the main or result clause which indicates what will happen if the condition of the si clause is met.
The subjunctive mood is used to talk about things that are subjective and/or possible, but not certain. This includes things like doubts, wishes, recommendations, unknowns, and opinions about the likelihood of other events occurring.
The tense of the result clause depends on the tense of the si clause. In other words, the tense of the two clauses follow a prescribed sequence.
It is only the present subjunctive that is not used after si, the past subjunctive is used all the time. … The imperfect subjunctive is used in the “if” clause, and the conditional in the main clause:
Si yo fuera rico compraría un coche.
Note that either the si clause or the result clause may begin a sentence, but the same tenses remain specific to each clause.
Si + Past (Imperfect) Subjunctive
Si + Past (Imperfect) Subjunctive
“SI” CLAUSE
si + past (imperfect) subjunctive
contrary to current facts
RESULT CLAUSE
conditional
The second type of si clause is contrary to fact in the present. The consequence is thus seen as impossible.
Note that in Spanish, the (IMPERFECT (PAST SUBJUNCTIVE) is used in the si clause, never the conditional.
If there was a problem like that, we could not go
Si hubiera un problema así, no podríamos ir.
SI + PLUPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE
Si clause
si + pluperfect subjunctive
contary to past facts
Result clause
Past condicional
This last type of si clause is used for situations that are contrary to past fact. The result clause thus expresses an unrealized past possibility and it is in the past conditional tense.
If I had studied more, I would have got better grades
Si hubiera estudiado más, habria sacado notas mejores.
Si hubiera estudiado (PLUPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE) más, habría obtenido (PAST CONDITIONAL) mejores notas.
Yol
If I have time I will go
Si tengo tiempo iré/ voy a ir
Yol
If I had had (hubiera tenido (PLUPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE) ) time I would have gone habria ido PAST CONDITIONAL to the park
Si hubiera tenido tiempo habria ido al parque
THE “SI” PLUPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE is followed by the PAST CONDITIONAL
If I had arrived yesterday I could have gone
would have been able to go
Si hubiera llegado ayer podría haber ido
If there was a problem like that, we could not go
Si hubiera un problema así, no podríamos ir.
FROM Study.com
FROM Study.com
We use conditional statements all the time in our daily lives. How many times have you said ‘If such and such happens, then I will do such and such’? We say this all the time. However, in Spanish, we have to use different verb conjugations and tenses depending on what we are saying in our conditional statement.
In Spanish, the word ‘if’ is si not to be confused with sí (‘yes’). Statements that begin with si indicate a possibility that something will happen in either the past, present or future. Si clauses can be broken down into two primary parts.
SI + PRESENT
1) The si clause.
PRESENT
2) The result - what will happen if the si clause is met.
If I see my friend, I say ‘hello’.
Si veo a mi amigo, le digo ‘hola.’
If you eat too much, you have a stomach ache.
Si comes demasiado, tienes un dolor de estómogo.
If we run fast, we win the race.
Si corremos rápido, ganamos la carrera.
SI + the IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE + CONDITIONAL
In another type of si clause, we use the IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE tense in the first part of our clause,
SI + the IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE + CONDITIONAL
and the CONDITIONAL tense in the second clause because these situations seem to be impossible. Before we look at this further, let’s review the endings for the imperfect subjunctive and conditional.
IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE STEM FORMULA
IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE STEM IS = third person plural preterite form minus “-ron” ending
Subject Pronoun -AR Ending -IR/ER Ending
yo -ara -iera
tú -aras -ieras
él/ella/usted -ara -iera
nosotros/as -áramos -iéramos
vosotros/as -arais -íais
ellos/as/ustedes -aran -ieran
CONDITIONAL ENDINGS ADDED TO INFINITIVE OF VERB
Subject Pronoun -AR, -ER -IR Ending
yo -ía
tú -ías
él/ella/usted -ía
nosotros/as -íamos
vosotros/as -íais
ellos/as/ustedes -ían
Infinitive Third Person Imperfect
Preterite Form Subjunctive Stem
caber cupieron cupie-
dar dieron die-
decir dijeron dije
dormir durmieron durmie-
estar estuvieron estuvie-
haber hubieron hubie-
hablar hablaron habla-
hacer hicieron hicie-
ir fueron fue
leer leyeron leye-
tener tuvieron tuvie-
Infinitive Third Person Imperfect
Preterite Form Subjunctive Stem
poner pusieron pusie-
preferir prefirieron prefirie
querer quisieron quisie-
saber supieron supie-
sentir sintieron sintie-
ser fueron fue-
traducir tradujeron traduje-
traer trajeron traje-
ver vieron vie-
pedir pidieron pidie-
poder pudieron pudie-
If I were an animal, I would be a bird.
Si fuera un animal, estaría un pájaro.
If you studied more, you would get better grades.
Si estudiaras más, secarías notas mejores.
If she had wings, she would fly.
Si ella tuviera alas, volaría.
If we went to California, we would be lost.
Si fuéramos a California, estaríamos perdidos.
SI + PLUPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE
SI + PLUPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE
In the final if-then scenario, we will look at the use of si along with the PLUPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE tense. In these examples, the si clause uses the PLUPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE and the second clause uses thePAST CONDITIONAL
We use theses statements to describe situations that are again past events. The result is something that did not happen due to the first clause. Before we look at examples, let’s review the pluperfect subjunctive and past conditional tenses.
